


Grey

by Lidsworth



Series: There is Another [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 22:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13176501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lidsworth/pseuds/Lidsworth
Summary: Ezra meets an interesting prisoner while being held captive on the Chimera.or anon asked: Maybe you could write the Rebel crew finding out about Thranto?





	Grey

**Author's Note:**

> I'm my own beta, please comment if you liked it. I may add an additional chapter to this. Also, check it out here on [Tumblrt](https://inkstranger.tumblr.com/post/169005515224/maybe-you-could-write-the-rebel-crew-finding-out)!

Ezra glared at the trooper, holding his fiery gaze until the door to his prison zipped close. With a low growl, the young Jedi turned on his heel and began pacing across the cell. **  
**

As usual, their plan had gone terribly wrong, and as usual, it had been Ezra who’d been arrested.

With no communication device (save for a broken one, curestosy of his imperial escort), and the Ghost hovering safely away from the Star Destroyer, Ezra had only his Force connection with Kanan to rely on for rescue. And unluckily, for Ezra, he was awful at fostering a Force connection, as it required meditation.

  
Ezra Bridger could do many things as an aspiring, young Jedi.  But meditation was not one of them.

Huffing, the young Jedi plopped down on the steel ground, legs crossed and cuffed hands awkwardly positioned behind his back. _Yeah, this’ll make things easier_ , sarcastically thought the young man to himself, shifting uncomfortably as he began to inhale deeply.

He attempted to calm himself with long, steady breaths. But when it came to focussing on nothing, Ezra as usual, fell short. His exhale was more of a growl than a calm breath, followed by a string of curses. He was never getting out of here, not with meditation, at least.

“You okay?”

Ezra whipped his head around so quickly, that it must have almost fallen off of  his neck. Behind him, sat  an older man, and though he appeared no older than Eli, the Force said differently. Aside from that, his skin was darker than Eli’s, but his curly hair lighter–brownish.

He sat on the standard bench provided by the prison cell, one leg over the other, and drumming his fingers in his knee. The fact that Ezra hadn’t noticed his presence before is very telling, and by his posture, Eli wonders if he served in the Army at any point of his life.

“Who are you?” Cautiously, the young Jedi turned to the “newest” occupant in his cell , his fingers twitching for a lightsaber that wasn’t there. If this man could sneak up on a Jedi, then what else could he do?

  
“Vanto,” he supplied casually, seemingly unnerved by the tension settling in the  air,  “Eli Vanto. But you can call me Eli.”

Vanto.The name sounded familiar, like he’d seen it in a database. Or more recently, an office plaque. But he couldn’t remember which one for the life of him, too busy reading the man’s Force to ponder on his name.   
  


“Okay, Eli,” Ezra tried the name on his tongue, making his way over to the other man when he sensed no threat, “My name is Jabba”.

  
“Like the hut?” Eli asked, amused, “Because you don’t look like a hut.”

“What can I say, my parents are fans,” Ezra lied, and not wanting to beat around the bush any longer, asked:“So what’re you in for?”

  
“No good reason, I suppose,” he began, then looking at Eli’s wrist, said, “Would you like me to fix those. I’ve gotta lot of experience with Imperial locks.”

  
“Sure,” Ezra said, offering his cuffed wrist to Eli, “You a rebel? Is that why you’re here?”

The older man snorted.

  
“I’m here because I look suspicious, come from Wild Space, and claimed I knew the Grand Admiral,” Eli explained,  “Next stop after this is the psych ward, I guess. They must think i’m crazy as hell.”

“You mean Thrawn?”

  
“Yeah, him,” Eli responded, seemingly unbothered by Ezra’s tone ,“Got it.”

  
Ezra shook the cuffs off of his wrist, then wrang the ache out of his bones.

  
“Don’t suppose he has his name plaque on the desk,” Eli drew out, “If he did I wouldn’t be arrested.”

Ezra raised an eyebrow, turning to Eli with a quizzical expression. What on earth was that supposed to mean? And were they still talking about Thrawn?

Ezra tilted his head, his brain doing its usual gymnastics when it came to things such as this. Why no one could ever get straight to the point, when it concerned Ezra, the boy didn’t know.

  
“Why’s that?” He inquired further, still incredibly confused at Eli’s previous statement.

  
“Because Vanto is my last name too. Well, it’s just my last name.” He stated, plainly.

  
Ezra considered his words, the meaning behind them processing slowly for him. Vanto? Thrawn? Same last name?

“Wait wait. Are you married to him?!”

Eli sighed, already anticipating this conversation and bracing himself for the onslaught of accusations.

“Certainly hope so, or there’s some other Vanto out there that’s married him.”

Ezra’s jaw drops for the third time that day, and Eli would have laughed had the situation not been so dire.   
  
“B-but he’s in the Empire,” Stammered the boy, “And his crew arrested you! How are you two married if–”  
  
Eli cut Ezra off with a raised hand, “Listen,  _Ezra_ ,  Thrawn may be in the Empire, but I’m not. I used to be, but I left for the same reason you’re fighting against it. And I-”

Ezra’s heart dropped to his stomach. He knew something was off about this guy! Knew it! And whatever game he was playing, the young Jedi was going to find out. However, there was a pressing issue that needed to be addressed.

  
“Wait, how do you  know my name?” Ezra tried to hide the panic in his voice, putting a safe distance between he and Eli, “I never gave it to you.”

Eli rolled his eyes, “I’ve hacked enough databases to know about you Ezra, and you’re Ghost Crew.”

“Wait–hacked–are you a rebel?”

“I’m not an Imperial, never again,” the resignation in his voice, alongside the regret seemed to calm Ezra, and the boy felt himself breathing easier, even with Thrawn’s alleged spouse beside him, “Not a rebel either, at least not entirely. And don’t worry, I’m not going to turn you in or anything.” 

Something about Vanto seemed..off, conflicted. Almost grey..

But he was telling the truth, as much as Ezra did not trust him, he was telling the truth. Thrawn may have been his husband, but Eli’s views…his Force greatly differed from Thrawn’s. He almost reminded Ezra of Kanan.

“Need your comlink fixed? I should be able to do it, give or take thirty minutes.” Eli spoke after some time,changing the subject and moving close Ezra before the boy.

Eli considered, still slightly  distrustful, but eager to leave the cell.   
“Can you do it in 20?”

“Hey now, don’t push it.” Eli warned in good humor, “They took my stuff too.”

Ezra nodded, reaching in his pocket and tossing Eli his crushed comlink. The former Imperial whistled at the damage, but immediately wriggled himself from his seat slid to the ground, where he got to work adjacent to Eli.  

“So they….arrested you even though your married to the Admiral?” Now with Eli working on his comlink, Ezra took the opportunity to interrogate him. He found himself wanting to know more and more about this man.  

  
“Wouldn’t be the first time, his new crew doesn’t know me,” Eli began as he removed tiny tools from his shoe, “You should’ve seen the two of us last year, we both got arrested on some Imperial occupied planet.”   
  


“Thrawn got arrested? For What?”

  
“You keep on like that and you won’t have a jaw,” Eli said, taking notice of Ezra’s expression, “It was my fault, actually. I took him out when I shouldn’t have. He’s an alien , i’m not. It’s illegal, but he had a good time in the cell being lectured by a lieutenant about High Command and the workings of the Empire. Should’ve seen their faces when they learned that he was high command…”

Eli didn’t stop there, and gave a very detailed account of the events that followed after that, as well as he and Thrawn’s other prison escapades. Sometime during the conversation, Eli had handed Ezra his comlink–fixed and ready to use.  

Ezra found himself laughing before he even realized it, nearly doubling over at the image of calmly Thrawn negotiating with an Imperial Officer on different occasions. It was odd…to imagine Thrawn to be so…human. Or better yet, to be so victimized by the Empire like everyone else was. To be anything other than the cold, calculating Grand Admiral. To be married to someone like Eli Vanto.

Of course, Eli was an enigma in himself, and Ezra knew it was wrong to base Thrawn’s humanity off of his mysterious husband.

Regardless, Ezra found himself yearning to learn all he could about Eli. Like why he left the Empire, or how he and Thrawn met, or what was the real reason that he was being held as a prisoner on the Chimera. And how deeply involved in the fight against the Empire he was.

But before Ezra could ask, the door zipped open, revealing a tallish looking stormtrooper.  
  


However, Eli saw through the disguise almost immediately.

“So, is that your rescue?” Eli looked towards the door, sounding unimpressed.   
  


“Wait, howd you–”

  
“I may not be in the Empire anymore, but I was employed long enough to know standard regulation doesn’t allow troopers to stroll about like that.”

Ezra really wanted to ask Eli how old he was, because he spoke as if he’d been employed in the Empire for years.   
  


“He a friend?” Kanan asked as he whipped his helmet off.

  
“Not exactly,” Ezra replied, “But he’s not an Imperial either!”

“Should we take him with us?”

  
Both Eli and Ezra looked at each other, their expressions a mix of amusement and hesitation. Though after a five second stare down, Eli nodded and gave Ezra permission to tell Kana.   
  
“No, his husband is Thrawn.” Ezra stated, “But it’s not what it looks like.”

  
“Really Ezra?” Kanan hoisted the blaster in his hand, aiming the gun directly at Eli.  

  
“It’s not what you think Kanan,” Ezra stood, putting himself in between Kanan and Eli, hands up in surrender, “He’s not like them….I know you can feel it too.”

After what seemed like eternity, Kanan’s hands loosened, and slowly, the blaster fell to his side. He might have  been at odds with Eli, but the Force..it said something else.

“You’re…grey,” Kanan concluded, “Not good, not bad, just–”

  
“Yeah, grey’s the right word I guess. You’re not the first person to use it either,” Eli paused before he could elaborate, ears twitching slightly at a far off commotion, “But listen, you need to get out of here, they know you’re here. Take the exit by the garbage chute, not many troopers guard it.”

“Wait, why are you–”   
  
“Already told you, I don’t agree with the Empire,” said the older man, bluntly, “And while I don’t fully support your…rebellion…clearly the Empire is the bigger of the two evils. That’s why I left. If you’re taking down the Empire, then you’re an ally of mine.”

Ezra vaguly wondered if Eli had been one of the hackers crippling Imperial Databases. There had been a number of them, big names hiding behind anonymous screens. They’d done  the same to the Rebellion too, of course. But in general, they seemed like a largely neutral party. Vanto seemed to fit that description.

But he couldn’t ask now, and would most likely never get to ask. Not unless the war ended anytime soon.

  
“Ezra, it’s time to go,” Kanan tossed the younger Jedi his saber, then turned to Eli, “Nice meeting you. Be careful with whatever you’re doing,  because you’re cutting it close.”

  
Whatever Kanan had sensed about Eli, whatever he’d seen, the ex-Imperial seemed to take to heart, as his expression hardened, and he nodded.

“See ya around, Eli,” Ezra called over his shoulder, as he followed behind Kanan.   
  
“See ya around, Kid,” responded the hacker, settling himself back on the bench.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Lol more like Eli meets two members of the ghost XD Like i said i may write more.Hope you enjoyed it, let me know if you did! And thanks for all who read it.


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